Moleskine 發表 iPhone 和 iPad 保護套

Moleskine 在筆記本界是世界首屈一指的品牌，但面臨 0 和 1 的挑戰，該怎麼辦呢？既然打不贏，就加入他們吧！事實上 Moleskine 已經出了一款給 Kindle 用的保護套，在構想上和這個類似，都是一邊是數位產品，另一邊是筆記本的設計。這對偏好用紙筆塗塗畫畫的人來說是個福音，不過自從 Kindle 版的時候就有許多關於應該是產品在右側還是筆記本在右側的討論，因為這對右撇子來說，代表了以何者為「主」。從上圖看起來，Moleskine 決定在 iPad 上以筆記本為主，在 iPod 上卻以 iPod 為主。不知道這符不符合大家的想像呢？

整體來說，iPod 的版本可能累贅了點（裝上之後厚度變三倍），但 iPad 還蠻吸引人的，特別是拿 iPad 看電子書的人，或許可以從中找回一點點類比時代的感覺吧？

First Look: Time Travel eXplorer brings old London to life

When you're visiting a city, don't you sometimes wonder what it looked like in past centuries? That's the premise behind Time Travel eXplorer - London, a new iPhone travel guide app from Visick Solutions, Ltd. currently on the What's Hot page of the UK App Store. There's a good reason for that popularity, since Time Travel eXplorer is a fascinating way to take a tour of London both in the present day and in the past.

No, the developers didn't figure out a way to integrate the iPhone with a DeLorean or power it with a Mr. Fusion. What the app does provide is maps with 750 points of interest, as well as 1,500 photos and 150 audio guides that are bundled into the app so that you don't have to rely on a cell phone signal to take advantage of them. The tour information is provided by qualified Blue Badge guides, so you're getting accurate and interesting information.

The time travel bit comes in with maps of London from 1862, 1830, 1799, and 1746. The base Time Travel eXplorer - London app (US$2.99) includes a demo map from 1862, and you can do in-app purchases of the old maps in their entirety for a few bucks per map. Alternatively, you can buy a Pro version of TTX ($8.99) that includes all of the maps.

Apple's segmentation strategy and why it works

Here's a little interesting weekend reading from Mark Sigal on O'Reilly about "Apple's segmentation strategy." Sigal does a huge overview of Apple's direction over the last ten years, and in the end, argues that Apple has shirked the conventional wisdom of marketing products horizontally (making a special type of peanut butter for every customer, for example), and has instead segmented its products vertically (creating one product for a particular use case -- an iPad for reading, an iPod for listening, and an iPhone for apps). Apple is successful -- extremely successful, says Sigal -- not because it has become the biggest company in its various industries, but because it has thought carefully about how to sell products, and then sold them at exactly the right prices. And even when it's not right, says Sigal, Apple never makes a move that isn't strong and confident anyway. Even when the Apple TV is just a hobby, it's always just a hobby.

Sigal's point with all of this is that when Apple is doing what it does best -- targeting a specific market and overtaking it with quality -- the old rules of horizontal marketing and sales just don't apply. Apple is fine with not having the market share on smartphones, because it's not chasing those old goals. Apple doesn't add features or change products in a panic -- it added a camera to the iPod touch only when it was ready, and even then, it was careful not to make it better than the iPhone 4's camera and all of its selling points.

At any rate, Sigal's piece is a very interesting read. It's a little heavy for the weekend, maybe, but well worth going through to provide some insight on just why Apple remains so popular and profitable, even when other factors seem to rise against it.

[via MacStories]

TUAW review and giveaway: XtremeMac InCharge Duo for iPad

It's not rare for Apple fanboys and girls to have more than one Apple device. Since the iPad appeared on the scene in April, there's good chance that you'll find an iPad and either an iPhone or an iPod in the well-equipped Apple home. So how do you keep all of those devices charged without turning your counter space into a nest of cabling?

XtremeMac has come to the rescue with the new InCharge Duo for iPad (US$59.99), a dual dock that not only provides the necessary 2.1 amps to charge the iPad, but can charge an iPhone or iPod with Dock Connector at the same time. Since your iPad has such good battery life, you can also use the InCharge Duo to charge up any combination of other iDevices while you're using the iPad.

The InCharge Duo looks much nicer than some dual chargers I've seen and used. It's a sleek dark grey unit with a tiny logo on the front and two small LEDs that provide charge status. It would be perfect for use in a bedroom, as the LEDs are dim enough that they won't keep anyone but the most severe insomniac awake. Read on for details on how you can win one from TUAW.

TUAW iPhone Tips: Typing the Apple symbol, iOS 4 folders in the dock

As you go into this weekend looking for things to do, you might be thinking about how to organize your iOS 4.x iPhone and use the Apple symbol in the process.

The first tip, courtesy of Macenstein, deals with labeling of apps and folders. Back in the iPhone OS 2.x days, you could use the Japanese keyboard to type the Apple symbol. That feature disappeared, but now there's a way to bring back that Apple symbol.

The solution is to create a folder in iOS 4, which is done by dragging one app onto another. Give the folder a name, like "Rename me," then sync with your computer. With your iPhone selected in iTunes 10, click on the Apps tab. There you'll see all of your apps and folders, and you can double-click on the folder you just created to rename it. Use the Mac keyboard shortcut Option-Shift-K to type in the Apple symbol () and whatever else you want in the folder title, press Return to enter the change, and then click the Apply button to rename the folder on your iPhone. If you ever need to type an Apple symbol into another app, you can simply copy and paste it from the folder name.

Our second tip, from TUAW reader Adam, uses the obvious (but little-used) fact that you can put folders into the "dock" row of icons on your iPhone home screen. Why is that important? With one touch, you can have access to up to 12 of your favorite apps in the always-available dock row. Join the two tips together, and you can have an  Apps folder in your iPhone dock containing all of those Apple apps that you can't get rid of.

Apple spawns new accessory line: nano watch straps

The success of the iPods, iPhone and iPad have been a boon for Apple and accessory makers. Shortly after each product's introduction, a small but highly competitive cottage industry of cases, sleeves, stands and so on emerges. Now, the new iPod nano's unique design has many manufacturers thinking the same thing: wristwatch.

The nano is small, light, square-ish and features a touch screen. When popped into a strap accessory like the Linq by Incipio, it looks good! The Linq will be available in five colors when released (grey, black, pink, blue and white), though a release date and pricing information are unavailable as of this writing.

It looks nice and the iPod seems well-protected, but I wouldn't want a wire going from my wrist to my ears all day. But that's just me.

Captio: The simple app that just might change your life

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have the worst memory. I also have a bad short-term memory. This makes it tough to remember the things that pop into my head throughout the day, and it makes it especially hard to keep track of tasks and other actions that I must take. I've wanted to use my iPhone to "bottle" these fleeting thoughts for years, but nothing on the App Store allowed me to do this without some sort of distraction.

Enter Captio, a new app from Ben Lenarts of Boonbits. It's a small note taking application that allows you to capture thoughts, ideas, tasks, and other tidbits of information as they come to you. You may say, "But there are a million of those apps on the store, Josh, you handsome man!" Given, but Captio has one killer feature that everyone else has failed to deliver on: nothing. For example, here's how it works:

Step 1: You open the app.

Step 2: You type what you need to remember.

And that's it. Your idea is in your email inbox. That's what makes Captio so great. You can add a quick photo before Captio whisks the idea out of your mind, but the feature is hidden quite well under the keyboard (as not to distract you). It's one fast app, too. I don't mean that in the same way that reviewers normally say it, either. Captio could outrun Usain Bolt strapped to a rocket cheetah. My iPhone 4 loads it from a cold start in about a second, and it's even quicker when loading from multitasking memory.

If you're looking for something to capture everything you need to remember (and capture it quickly), I highly recommend picking up Captio. It's available now on the App Store for a fantastic $0.99. Just be prepared to break the news gently to your iPod icon, though; he won't be happy to lose his spot on the dock.